Second Best
by TheHogwartsHobbit
Summary: The battle of Hogwarts is over, Voldemort is dead but so are Harry and Ron. Grief stricken, Hermione gets a task from Professor McGonagall to go back to 1942 and start a new life in the past, but will a mysterious Dark haired orphan capture her heart?
1. The Aftermath

The Aftermath

It's seems that everything was hopeless. I'd lost my best friend and my boyfriend and my parents are somewhere in Australia. I'm definitely alone now. I was walking towards the Dark Forest passing numerous dead bodies and rubles of brick that used to belong to the ancient castle when thoughts started running through my mind.

How did things become so bad? Harry never told me much about Voldemort's past only that there were heaps of similarities between him and Voldemort like calling Hogwarts their home, their abilities to speak to snakes and of course, the major and the most obvious thing, they had no family. Tears blurred my vision. It was Harry who I had always loved ever since he rescued me from the mountain troll in first year. I'll admit that I did date Ron for a while, but that was only to get my mind off Harry when I knew that he liked Cho and then Ginny. I cursed myself for my stupidity.

Without realizing where I was going, I went deeper into the forest than I intended to. I saw thestrals grazing on the plant life. It was the first time I've seen them, they looked like Death in horse form, and they were magnificent but eerie. I kept walking deeper into the forest despite that I wasn't thinking straight. Dawn was coming nearer as came to a clearing. Something caught my eye a few meters away, it was a silvery shimmer on the ground. I picked it up and recognized it almost instantly, it was Harry's invisibility cloak. I couldn't help but put the material against my cheek. Memories came flooding back. The first time I used it was when I was in first year and was with Harry and Ron to save the *Philosophers stone from "Snape". I put the cloak in my beaded bag and looked back down to the forest floor, a black stone was shining through the dirt. When I picked it up I noticed that it was engraved with a crest that had faded over the years. I put it in my bag, I would figure out whose crest was engraved on the stone once my mind was clear.

I had no idea what time it was and, honestly, I didn't care. I kept on walking further into the forest seeing the occasional unicorn and centaur armed with a crossbow. I didn't want to come out of the forest_, there was nothing for me in this world anymore._ No, I couldn't think like that. I kept on walking, surprisingly, I wasn't getting tired.

_Why won't anything distract me from my grief? I can't his beautiful emerald eyes out of my mind. Gosh, Hermione get a grip on yourself, he's dead. D.E.A.D. DEAD! And there's nothing you can do to change that. _I was going mad and for the first time in my life, I didn't have the vaguest idea of what to do next.

I sat down on a large rock nearby and sobbed for what seemed like hours before something grabbed my attention. A ghostly, silver cat was standing there and turning its head back towards the school. It was a patronus. At first I thought it was Umbridge's then I realized that it looked like McGonagall's animagus form. I stood up and followed the cat through the forest. I didn't realize how far into the forest I went, it took over an hour to get back to the Black Lake. The sun was high above in the sky, the blue sky certainly did not ,and I emphasize the word "not", set the mood. Dead bodies were still being carried by stretcher or by men from the courtyards into the great hall.

The merpeople's heads rose above the surface of the lake and screeched, I recognized the sound from the egg the contestants of the Triwizard Tournament had to rescue from a dragon almost four years ago. I knew that their song would sound beautiful but, at the same time, sorrowful if they were underwater. The sun was reflecting off Professor Dumbledore's tomb by the lake's edge. I felt bad for the teachers and possibly students that saw the old Headmaster's body after Voldemort broke into it to retrieve the elder wand.

I kept on following the cat through the entrance courtyard and to the gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster/ Headmistress' office. The cat just walked through the stone, but I had no idea what the new password was.

"Uh, can I see Professor McGonagall, please" I asked the statue. It leapt aside revealing a staircase.

"Sure, who's going to stop you? I'm certainly not" it said. I thanked it and made my way up the staircase.

_Why would Professor McGonagall want to see me? _The thought finally came to mind, I can't have been in trouble. The only things I've done in the past twenty four hours was fighting a few death eaters, see my friends die and destroy one of Tom Riddle's horcruxes. I'm sure those things can't be punishable now that I'm not a Hogwarts student anymore.

I entered the office it didn't look any different since Dumbledore was Headmaster, only Fawx's perch wasn't there and there was now a portrait of Dumbledore above the desk in the centre of the room. A pensieve was placed on the desk top.

"Miss Granger" the old woman's voice startled me. Professor McGonagall had just entered the office she looked exhausted and in pain.

"Professor McGonagall, did you want to see me about something?" I asked. The Headmistress limped over to the desk and sat down on the chair and then summoned another.

"Yes, please sit" she said offering the chair in front of the desk. I sat down but I was worried about the old witch.

"Professor, if you want to rest, I'm more than-

"- Thank you, Miss Granger, but I'm fine, besides this can't wait much longer, I was going to give this task to you at the beginning of the school year but seeing as you didn't show up. Now I think it's better late than never"

"What is this task, Headmistress?" I said. It must've been important. If it wasn't McGonagall would've forgotten about it.

"Go back to the year 1942"

*Sorcerer's stone


	2. Back in time, again

**AN: And I am supper sorry I have not updated in ages, serious (or should I say Sirius) writing block**

"Sorry?" I said. I wasn't sure if I was hearing things.

"You need to go back to the year 1942" clarified McGonagall.

"But why-

"-You and Mr. Potter are the only ones in 7th year that have experience with time travel but seeing as Mr Potter is now- and I think a female would be more suitable for this "quest" if I may call it" McGonagall said struggling to say that Harry was dead. I was still confused.

"And what will I do when I'm there, Professor?" I asked.

"I'm guessing you would want to restart your time at Hogwarts, especially after tonight's event. You will be a sixth year Hogwarts student in that time, you'd have to disguise yourself as a half-blood. I'm aware that a famous potioneer is a distant relative of yours, who would've been old enough to be a father in that time, so you can keep your actual name. The main thing you have to do is change the past to improve the future or if you want, the present time" Said McGonagall.

She was right, I did want to restart my time at Hogwarts, especially from my OWL years. _But to go back in time and leave everything I know and love… No wait there's little left that I love in this time now. _

"Ok, I'll do it" I said. McGonagall smiled.

"Thank you, Miss Granger" she said and rose from her seat, "Wait one moment, please", she exited the office.

_Great what I have I gotten myself into, will I ever stop being the girl that's too kind for her own good. The truth is I can't say no, if it is THAT important._ I had a habit of getting myself into things that I didn't especially want to, well, that's the price to pay if you're going to befriend Harry Potter. The door of the office opened again and McGonagall entered holding a piece of parchment and a large time turner.

"Now, Miss Granger, you will need to give this to Headmaster Dippet when you arrive in 1942," she handed me the parchment, "It's a letter from your "father" and this is time turner has the ability to go back years as opposed to days like the normal ones" she handed me the time turner "I'll see you then" she smiled.

"So I can go now?" I asked.

"If I were you, I would go sooner rather than later" she said and sat back down at her desk.

"How many times do I have to turn it?"

"fifty six times"

"Ok, thank you, Professor" I put the time turner around my neck and pocketed the piece of parchment.

"Oh, and Miss Granger, Good Luck" said McGonagall. I smiled weakly at her and begun to turn the time turner. Once I finished turning it 56 times. Everything seemed to be on rewind. Everything was blurry that I couldn't figure out who was in the office. I was starting to feel dizzy. Then it all stopped. I opened my eyes. The headmaster's office looked different. Half the instruments were gone, some of the portraits were missing and there was no pensive in sight, but the greatest change was that there was a short old man with a pointed hat standing back face to me. I cleared my throat. He got startled and faced towards me.

"Oh, you must be Miss Granger, I've been expecting you" said the old man who I realised to be the headmaster prior Dumbledore, Professor Dippet.

"How did you-

"I was told by a future professor about what is to come in our world"

"Oh"

"Would you like to change your house or remain in Gryffindor, Miss Granger?"

I thought about it for a while. If the sorting hat wanted me in Gryffindor then I should be in Gryffindor but Professor McGonagall did say it was time to start over. Yet again, I didn't know anyone in Gryffindor in this time period. May as well:

"I'll stay in Gryffindor" I said.

"If that's what you really want-"

"Actually, let the hat decide again" I changed my mind. I don't know how its decision will change seeing as it's still the same hat but there's no harm in trying.

Headmaster Dippet summoned the Sorting Hat down from the shelves and placed it on my head.

"Ah, a troubled mind, I can see through you, Miss Granger, you want a new life and here is where you'll get it, I guess you want to be in-

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat shouted the house.

What?! How!? I absolutely hate basically all of the Slytherins in my time why the hell would I...

"Well, It seems the hat has made its choice" Headmaster Dippet said putting the hat back on its shelf"

"But, headmaster, I thought that Slytherin only accepted pure and half bloods" I tried to reason.

"Miss Granger, the sorting hat doesn't make mistakes, it never has in its millennium of existence" Dippet said calmly, surely he could see that I did not like the hat's choice.

There was a knock on the door disrupting what the headmaster was about to say.

"Enter"

The doors swung open and a boy, no older than sixteen entered.

"Ah, good evening, Tom" said Dippet pleasantly.

As he came into the light, I noticed he was quite good looking, his hair was raven black, like Harry's, except it was a lot neater and straighter, he had porcelain white skin and dark innocent eyes, he was skinny but not scrawny and quite tall. Oh Merlin, please don't tell me I'm developing a type.

"You wished to see me, Headmaster" he said

"Yes, but that'll have to wait, I'm afraid, right now I need someone to show Miss Granger around, as I believe Miss Zabini is ill, I believe you're best fit to show her around as prefect of Slytherin house"

"Yes, sir" he said obediently. Headmaster Dippet turned to me.

"Hermione, this is Tom Riddle, he will look after you for the first few weeks of your time at Hogwarts. Tom, this is Hermione Granger, sent here from Bauxbatons" Dippet introduced us.

"Pleasure to meet you, Hermione" He said offering his hand.


End file.
